Tuesday, March 19, 2013

A Brighter Future for Charedim in Israel

Maybe I am a hopeless optimist. But I see a lot of changes happening
in the Jewish world. And they seem to all be for the better.

One of those things is something that Rabbi
Daniel Eidensohn wrote about today on his blog, Daas Torah. Rabbi Eidensohn is
a Charedi Rav whose credentials are quite impressive. His Magnum Opus are the widely respected indicies
(in both Hebrew and English) to two of the greatest Halachic works of the 20th
century: the Mishnah Berurah, by the Chafetz Chaim and the Igros Moshe by R’ Moshe Feinstein. He
has a PhD in psychology and has also written books dealing with the issue of
sex abuse. He is also very close to Rav Moshe Sternbuch.

In the most recent contribution Rabbi Eidensohn has made
what I believe to be an astounding admission. Especially in light of the very
name of his blog. He said that with the passing of R’ Elyashiv, there is really
no more Daas Torah!

That is pretty shocking coming from someone who is as close
to Rav Sternbuch as R’ Eidensohn is. It is also shocking in light of the fact
that there is a conflict going on between two Charedi factions – each loyal to
their own ‘candidate’ as to who should succeed R’ Elayshiv for the ‘post’ of
Gadol HaDor – the ultimate expositor of
Daas Torah: R’ Aharon Leib Steinman or R’ Shmuel Auerbach.

I have often said that the rabbinic leaders of today are not
the Gedolim of yesteryear. The right wing has always countered with the following
expression from the Gemarah: Yiftach B’Doro, K’Shmuel B’Doro. What the Gemarah
is telling us is that even my generation’s Gedolim (people like Yiftach) is is not as great as another generation's Gedolim (people like Shmuel HaNavi)… they are the best available and we must listen to them. What they therefore tell us is still Daas Torah. And yet a man of R’ Eidensohn’s credentials says we
have no longer have it!

I would disagree with him. I think we do have Daas Torah – individuals
who can speak to us using the wisdom of the Torah they have achieved. I just don’t think it is
necessarily or exclusively in the hands of Charedi Rabbanim. Especially when there
is such infighting among them about who should be representing it to us.

Which brings me back to my original point. I am optimistic about
recent developments in Israel with respect to the Charedi situation in Israel.
It seems like the Charedi world of the past is doomed. I do not mean Chas V’Shalom
that it will disappear. Quite the contrary. I think it will be strengthened.

The new government in Israel (assuming it has any longevity to it at all –
which is a real question) is determined to change the Charedi paradigm of full
time Torah study for every male for as long as possible without any preparation
for the workplace and exemption from any military service. This is something I
have been advocating for decades.

The fear of this change is on the minds of virtually every
rabbinic leader in Israel. So afraid of change are they that they see it as a
Shas HaShmad - something which a Jew is supposed to give up his life for even
if he is asked to violate the most minute Mitzvah.

They fear that conscription of Charedim will destroy
Yeshivos and that all serious Torah study will come to an end. Once a Charedi
is drafted, and does his army stint, he will never return to serious Torah study.
He will instead seek a job. This is existential for them. Life or death! To a
man... it seems that every single Charedi rabbinic leader of all stripes – and even
some of the more right wing Religious Zionist rabbis (Chardalim) - have all called for resistance to the draft in
various forms. Like going to jail; or leaving the country to study Torah elsewhere.

But their fear is misplaced. The new government is not interested
in destroying Torah Study – despite its even religious members being accused of
it and being vilifyied by some of those rabbinic leaders. Neither Naftali Bennett nor
even Yair Lapid can be compared to the Czarist Russia of old. They are
interested in mainstreaming Charedim into society to be more productive - outside the
Beis HaMedrash as well as inside.

Adding to their fear is the loss of power that Charedi
parties have until now enjoyed. Even as their population numbers increase along
with their representation in the Keneset, they are no longer part of the
governing coalition. That means they will not have any cabinet posts or the
power that goes with them to allocate funds to their cause.

This is kind of ironic considering all the predictions that
say Charedim are growing at such a rapid rate that they will eventually become
the majority. That may still be true at some point in the future. But if things
go the way they are now, it will not be the same Charedi world that exists now.
It may very well be a Charedi world that looks more like the American version.
There seems to be some realization about that too. From Daniel Eidensohn:

My niece who attends a chareidi seminary for American girls
here in Jerusalem - was recently told in all seriousness by a teacher
that the New Chareidim constitute a serious threat to the Chareidi way of life
and authority. My niece wasn't sure what New Chareidim are and why they are so
dangerous - as she leads a very sheltered chareidi life - typical of many
American chareidim. She couldn't understand why Israeli chareidim are so
afraid of a way of life which is typical in America.

Indeed. This is what all the screaming by Israeli rabbinic
leaders is all about. But as R’ Eidensohn says, Daas Torah no longer exists.
And as I said these fears are misplaced. Instead of looking at this as a Shas
HaShmad - they should be looking at this as an opportunity to get their
community out of poverty and into the mainstream so that their members can better
support their families.

I undernstand their fear. It is the fear of the unknown. Change
means facing an unknown future. And they fear the worst. But the worst won’t
happen. The IDF is not prepared to put every single young Charedi into the
army. They don’t really have the room or the need. Although I still strongly
feel that there should be no general exemption given to any single demographic
group from being put in harm’s way, the reality is that most Israeli service
personnel are not put in harm’s way - if I understand correctly. Most of
the military jobs are not in the battlefield. Many soldiers have ancillary or
supporting jobs. And exemptions exist outside of the Yeshiva world too.

My guess is that there will be a compromise that will
require some sort of military commitment by most Charedim… but that it will be
along the lines of the old Tal Law – that allowed Yeshiva students to stay in
the Beis HaMedrash full time until age 23 or so… and then they will be required
to do some sort of military service – perhaps combined with their continued
Torah study. They will not have to completely leave the Beis Hamedrash. After fulfilling their military
requirements, they can continue to learn in the Yeshivos they are in – and go back to full time study
if they choose.

Some, on the other hand, may actually leave to find a job – and the
skills they picked up via their army training will aid them in getting better
jobs. Additionally full exemptions will probably be given to the top students in any case so their Torah study will continue full time without interruption. The
percentage of those exemptions can be worked out amicably in my view. Where there is a will, there is a way.

The future that I see does not change the commitment to
Torah study. It just allows for options that heretofore were not available.

I am not saying that the version of the future I just
outlined will happen exactly in the way I suggested. It may take some sort of
alternate form. But whatever form it takes it will be for the better. Because
it can’t get much worse. There is no reason in the world why Charedim should continue
to be the single biggest - and fastest
growing - welfare demographic in all of
Israel. The result will be the ‘new Charedi’ the teacher in that seminary so
feared. And hopefully will stop fearing when she realizes the better world it has
created for them.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.